Means to vary the blow of the printing hammer



July 18, 1933. F. H. TREGO 1,918,300

MEANS, TO VARY THE BLOW OF THE PRINTING HAM' IER Filed Oct. 15, 1929 5Shets-Sheet 1 In I; x52

afi T g I 3 Q Q Q x g g \QR Q INVENTOR & a Fran/r H 7/1990.

A TWWRNEY July 18, 1933. F. H.-.TREGO MEANS TO VARY THE BLOW OF THEPRINTING HAMMER Filed Oct. 15, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 JNVENTOR Frank M9 BE 7 July 18, 1933.

F. H. TREGO MEANS TO VARY THE BLOW OF THE PRINTING HAMMER 5 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Oct. 15, 1929 IN VENT OR July 18, 1933, F. H. TREGO MEANS TOVARY THE BLOW OF THE PRINTING HAMMER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 15,1929 INVENTOR Fran/r hf Treqo. ArroRlvEf July 18, 1933. F. H. TREGO 0MEANS T0 VARY THE BLOW OF THE PRINTING HAMMER Filed Oct. 15, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR Fran/r l1. Treqo.

BY W;

L AWQRNEY Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE FRANK H.TREGO, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO RALPH G.COXHEAD COR'ZPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. A. CORPORATION OF DELAWAREMEANS TO VARY THE BLOW Application filed October 15, 1929.

An object of the invention is to vary the blow of the printing hammerWithout changing its throw so as not to slow down the speed of themachine when the blow of the hammer is increased.

To carry out the invention there 1s provlded a suitable setting meansconnected d rectly with the actuating means of the prlntmg hammer bywhichthe force of the actuating means may be varied at will to producethe desired blow of the printing hammer.

Another object of the invention is. to automatically vary the blow ofthe printing hammer to compensate for larger and smaller types ofdifferent type sets used in the machine.

To this end the mechanism for ad ust1 ng the actuating means is alsoassociated with means by which the letter spacing of the carriage isvaried in accordance with the size of type.

The hammer actuating means includes a spring, and another feature of theinvention relates to means including a settable fingerpiece to vary theforce of the spring in proportion to the movement of the finger-pieceand also to vary the force of the sprlng in an increasedratio after thefinger-piece has moved a certain distance.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of the machine showing theinvention applied thereto:

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine, partly broken away, showingthe force adjuster, for the hammer actuating spring, set in its firstposition, and the variable carriage feed mechanism set for the smallestletter spacing in accordance with the smallest actuating'spring;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing the variable feedmechanism set for the largest types and the hammer spring adjustmenteffected by the setting mechanism associated with the variable feedmechanism;

OF THE PRINTING HAMMER Serial No. 899,732.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front view, in section, taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear view illustrating the escapement mechanism.

Similar reference characters represent similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The invention is shown as applied to the Varityper writing machine whichincludes a main frame 10 having a track 11 upon.

which a carriage 12 travels back and forth through the medium ofanti-friction balls or rollers 13. To guide the carriage at the top itis provided with a bar 14 which is held against one or more rollers 15by a guard or bracket 16 secured to the machine frame.

rection by the usual spring drum, not shown, connected to said carriageby a strap 17. Its letter space movements are controlled by escapementmechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 18, which is operated ateach operation of any one of the various key levers. I

The escapement mechanism 18 includes an escapement wheel 19 secured to ashaft 20 supported in the main frame 10. Connected to the shaft 20 arepinions 21, 22 and 23 forming part of a sleeve 24 connected with theescapement shaft 20, as in my application, Serial No. 361,899, filed May10, 1929, by means of a pawl and ratchet, not shown herein. A rack 25,supported on the carriage, may engage with any one of the pinions torotate the escapement shaft in a clock wise direction in Fig. 6.

The escapement wheel 19 is normally held by a loose dog 26 pivoted by astud 27 on a frame 28, the frame 28 having an arm 29 engaging a stop 30.Upon the actuation of any one of the type keys a universal barassociated therewith is actuated. The univer sal bar has a rearwardlyextending arm 31 which moves downwardly to engage an inwardly projectingfinger 32 of a dog rocker 32 to swing the latter in a clockwisedirection, Fig. 6, about a pivot stud 33, thus swinging a fixed dog 34into the pat-h of an adj acent tooth of the escapement wheel.

The dog rocker is also provided with an arm'35 having a slot 36-intowhich extends a pin 37 from the loose dog 26'whereby the loose dog isswung out of engagement of the escapement wheel; the dog carrying frame28 being connected to a printing hammer 38 by means of a stud 39 to beactuated there- The carriage is urged in a letter space diby during aprinting operation of said hammer which is actuated in a mannerhereinafter described. Upon the release of the dog 26 from theescapement wheel it is carried upwardly, by the action of the hammer onthe frame 28, and the pin moves upwardly in the slot 36. Subsequentlythe dog rocker 32 is brought back to normalupon the return of the arm31, to first swing the stepping dog 26 into the path of the next toothof the escapement wheel and thento disengage the dog 34 from theescapement wheel, whereupon the escapement parts and the printing hammer38 are restored to normal as indicated in Fig. 6.

The printing instrumentalities include "a type carrier or shuttle 40having types 41 with which a head 42 of the hammer 38 co operates toprint against an interposed worksheet, 43; the work sheet being fed upand down by suitable feed rollers 44 and 45 sup ported on the carriage12. The type shuttle 40 is curved to conform with a cylindrical anvil 46by which it is carried; said shuttle being actuated in the usual way toselect the desired type by the key levers.

The printing hammer 38 is mounted on a shaft 47 supported by pivotscrews 47 on brackets 48 of the main frame.

Upon the release of the printing hammer from the escapement wheel 19, aspreviously described, it is actuated by a power means herein shown inthe form of a sprin 49 connected at one end to an arm 50 of the ammer 38and at its other end to a lever 51 of means to adjust the force of saidspring in a manner hereinafter described.

The types 41 of the set on the shuttle 40 may be small and narrow sothat there are sixteen to the inch on the work sheet. Another shuttle 52with broader and higher types 53, about ten to the inch is alsosupported on the anvil 46; the shuttle 52 being shiftable intocooperation with, the hammer 38 in the usual manner by rotating theanvil 46 by a finger-piece '54, at the same time the shuttle 40 iscarried out of operation.

The" letter spacing of the carriage is changed in accordance with thevarious sizes of the types 41 and 53 of the various type sets. For thispurpose there is provided'variable feed mechanism which may be like thatdisclosed in my above mentioned applica- 5 tion and includes the feedrack 25, which may engage any one of the pinions 21, 22 and 23; saidpinions being of different diameters to effect ten (10), twelve (12) andsixteen 16) letter spaces to the inch respectively of the carriage.

To set the machine for the desired letter spacing, the rack is firstlifted out of engagement with the active pinion, and the sleeve 24 isthenslid back or forth on the escapement shaft 20 to locate the pinion,corresponding with the desired letter spacing,

handle out of a notch 62 in an index plate 63. This raises the rack 25out of engage:

ment with the pinion 21, through the medium of a lever 64 actuated by anarm 64 secured to the rear end of the shaft 61. The fingerpiece orhandle 60 is then moved rearwardly in a slot 65 of the plate 63 to slidethe shaft rearwardly until the handle reaches a slot 66 and thus swingsa lever 67 about a pivot 68 to shift the sleeve 24 and carry the pinion23 forwardly under the rack 25. A spring 69, Fig. 2, connected to thehandle 60, is then permitted to rock 'the shaft 61 back to normal; thehandle 60 entering the slot 66 to lock the pinion in its selectedposition through the medium of the shaft 61 and the shift lever 67. Theshaft 61 is thus rocked back to normal and consequently the rack 25,which is controlled thereby, is lowered into engagement with the pinion23.

The machine may be used for light work such as ordinary letter writing,for medium work, as for example, one or more carbons, and for heavy worksuch as manifolding and stencil cutting. Accordingly the actuating meansincluding the spring 49 for the hammer may be adjusted to vary its forceto change the blow of the hammer to suit the work being done. 1

The means to vary the force of the ham- ,mer actuating spring 49includes a fingerpiece or arm 70 secured to a rock shaft 71 hammer, thearm 7 O is sprung laterally out i of the notch 73 and is then moved in alongitudinal slot 75 to index 2 of the plate 74 where it is permitted tosnap into a notch 76. In moving to. this position the shaft 71 is rockedin a clockwise direction, Fig. 1. Said shaft has secured thereto adownwardly extending arm 77 to move rearwardly a link 78 connectedthereto by a screw 7 9. The link 78 is guided by a screw 79 threadedinto a lug .80 of the machine frame 10 and is connected to a lever 81 bya screw 82 to swing said lever 81 and has an ear 85 engaging the forwardedge of the lever 81. Thus the lever 51 acts as an integral part of thelever 81 while the spring adjusting arm 73 is moving from its first toits second position. It will be understood that during this initialsetting of the spring tensioning means the increase in the force of thespring is proportioned to the distance throughwhich the setting arm ismoved. a

To adjust the hammer spring 49 for heavier work such as manifolding orstencil cutting, the setting handle '70 is moved to the notch 86opposite index 3. Although the movement of the handle 70 from its secondposition to its third position is equal to its movement from the firstposition to the second position, the increase in the force of the spring49 is much greater to procure the desired blow of the hammer 38. Toproduce this increased force of the hammer spring the lever 51 isprovided with an adjustable stop 90 which engages a lug 91 of themachine frame to swing the lever 51 about its pivot 84 in a counterclockwise direction and further tension the spring as in Fig. 3.

It Will be understood that because of the difference in areas of thefaces of types 41 and 53 provision is made to vary the blow of theprinting hammer accordin to the types in use. This is brought about bythe setting means of the variable feed mechanism .which, it will beremembered, is actuated to vary the letter space movements of thecarriage in accordance with the type set used. The shaft 61 of saidsetting means has secured thereto an adjustable collar 95 provided witha screw 96 extending through a slot 97 (Fig. 2) of a lip 98 on the lever83 so that the latter is swun in a counter clockwise direction, Fig. 3,about a pivot 99, when the rod 61 is moved rearwardly to the position inFig. 4 from the position in Fig. 3. During the rearward movement of theactuator, including the shaft 61 and the finger piece 60, the lever 81,which is connected to the lever 83, is swung about the stud 82 which atthis time serves as a stationary pivot.

The lever 51 is also swung about its pivot 84, because of engagement ofa screw 90 thereon, with a stop or abutment 91, to increase the force ofthe spring 49 so that the hammer blow is increased to compensate for thelarger types.

It will be understood that the handle 70 may occupy any one of its threepositions while the handle 60 of the variable feed mechanism is beingactuated; the latter effecting a variation in the force of the spring tocompensate for the various sizes of types so that the typing on the worksheet is of a uniform shade or weight.

It will further be understood that the lever' 81 is a lever of thesecond order which may be actuated about the pivot 83 by the handle 70;that it may be actuated about the a pivot 82 by the lever 83 (lever ofthe second order) when the latter is actuated by the handle 60; and thatthe subordinate lever 51 is a lever of the first order when actuatedabout its pivot 84.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown andde scribed, it will be understood that changes in form, arrangement,proportions, sizes and details thereof may be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a typewriting machine, the combiation of printing.instrumentalities including a hammer, a spring to actuate the printinghammer, means including a settable lever having a finger piece, saidlever connected to said spring to vary the force thereof to vary theblow of the hammer, indicating means to assist in setting the lever, anda notched detent to hold it in any one of a plurality of positions. 2.In a typewriting machine, the combination of printing instrumentalitiesincluding a hammer, a spring to actuate the printing hammer, afinger-piece, a lever connected with said spring, a fulcrum for saidlever, said lever being actuable by said finger-piece to vary the forceof the spring, said fingerpiece being connected to said lever fartheraway from its fulcrum than the point of connection of the spring,andmeans to hold the finger-piece in its variouspositions.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination'of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, a spring to actuate the printinghammer, means connected to said spring to vary its force, said meansincluding a finger-piece settable to three positions, thevariation offorce of said spring caused by setting the finger piece from its firstposition to its second position being proportional to the extent ofmovement of said finger-piece, and means operable when the finger-pieceis moved from its second position to the third position to increase theforce "of the spring in a greater ratio than when the finger-piece ismoved from the first position to the second position.

4. n a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, a spring to actuate the printinghammer, a simple lever'connected to said spring, a finger-piececonnected to said lever and movable from one position to another toactuate the lever to vary the force of said spring, and means to convertsaid lever into 130 a a compound lever when the finger-piece is movedfrom its last-mentioned position to still another position to furthervary the force of said spring.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, a spring to actuatethe printinghammer, a primary lever, a secondary lever the primary lever is beingshifted from its second position to the third position to swing thesecondary lever to further increase the force of'said spring, and meansto hold the primary leverjin its various positions.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, a spring to actuate the printinghammer, variable carriage feed mechanism, meansto set the variablecarriage feed mechanism, and means whereby the force of the hammerspring may be varied-by the setting means.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion of printinginstrumentalities/includinga hammer, a spring to actuate the printinghammer, variable carriage feed mechanism,

means including a shaft to set the variable feed mechanism, and a lever.connected to the hammer s ring and operable by said shaft to the orceof said spring in accordance the setting of said shaft.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, a spring to actuate the printinghammer, variable carriage feed mechanism, means to set the variable feedmechanism, a lever connected to the hammer spring, and an intermediatelever connecting said lever with the setting means.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, a. spring to actuate the printinghammer, a bar to which is connected intermediate'its ends said spring,and settable devices, one at each end of said bar and connected theretoto actuate the bar to regulate the force of said spring to vary the blowof the hammer accordingly.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer and types of various sizes, meansto actuate the hammer, means connected to the actuating means 'to varythe blow of the hammer to compensate for the thickness of work sheetbeing typed, and means also connected to the actuating means to 'varythe blow of the hammer to compensate-for the size of the types used.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities including a hammer, means to actuate the hammer, meansconnected with the actuating means to vary the force thereof, the secondnamed means being supported independently of the hammer and including afinger piece located at a convenient place for manipulaforce of theactuating meansto vary the blow of said hammer without. affecting thethrow of said hammer, and a locking plate for the finger piece, thesettable device and the locking plate being supported on the main frameindependently. of the hammer. 13.' In a typewriting machine, thecombination of a printing hammer, two type sets having types ofdifferent sizes, a spring to actuate the printing hammer, intermediatemeans connected to said spring, means includ- 9 ing a finger-piece toactuate the intermediate means to vary the force of said springaccording to the thickness of the work sheet, and means to actuate saidintermediate means to vary the force of said spring in accordance withthe different sizes of types.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a printin hammer, twotype sets having-types of di erentsizes, a spring to actuate theprinting hammer, intermediate means connected to said spring, meansineluding a finger-piece to actuate the intermediate means to vary theforce of said spring according to the thickness of the Work sheet,

and means to actuate said intermediate means to vary the force of saidspring in accordance with the different sizes of types, saidintermediate means including a lever connected at one end to the firstmentioned actuating means, said lever being connected at its other endto the second mentioned actuating means, each point of connection actingas a pivot for the intermediate lever when the latter is operated by theactuating means connected to the other end of the intermediate lever.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a printing hammer, twotype sets having types of different sizes, a spring to actuate theprinting hammer, means connected to said spring, means including afinger-piece to actuate the intermediate means to vary the force of saidspring according to the thickness of the work sheet,

and means to actuate said intermediate means 130 intermediate to varythe force of said spring in accordance with the different sizes oftypes, said intermediate means including a main lever and a subordinatelever pivotally supported by the main lever, said spring being connectedto the subordinate lever.

16. In a typewriting machine, thecombinnation of printing meansincluding a hammer, means to actuate said hammer, means to vary theforce of the actuating means to change the blow of said hammer, theforce varying means including a lever of the second order connected tothe actuating means, and means including a finger piece to set saidlever.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printing meansincluding a hammer, means to actuate said hammer, means to vary theforce of the actuating means to change the blow of said hammer, theforce varying means including a lever of the second order connected tothe actuating means, a lever connected to actuate the lever of thesecond order, and an actuator connected to the second mentioned lever.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printing meansincluding a ham mer, a spring to actuate said hammer, means to vary theforce of said spring, said means including a lever of the second order,a lever of the firstorder carried thereby and connected to said spring,and means including a tin ger piece to actuate the lever of the secondorder, and an abutment to engage one end of the lever of the first orderto actuate it about its pivot to vary the force of said spring.

19. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumcntalities includ ing a. hammer, a spring to actuate said hammer,means connected to said spring to vary its force, said means including afinger-piece settable to a plurality of positions, the variation offorce of said spring caused by setting the finger-piece from oneposition to another being proportional to the extent of movement of saidfinger-piece, and means operable when the finger-piece is moved to stillanother position to increase the force of said spring in a greaterratio.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, printinginstrumentalities including two type sets, the types of one set beinglarger than those of the other set, power means to efiect the printingof the printing instrumentalities, carriage feeding means, spaceselecting means settable to vary the letter spacing of the carriagefeeding means in accordance with the size of the types, means toregulate the force of the power means in accordance with the work beingtyped, and means operable by the space selecting means to further varythe force of the power means in accordance with the size of types of thetype set used.

21. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities, power means to effect the printing thereof, anactuable element connected to the power means, means including a fingerpiece connected to one end of said actuable element whereby the lattermay be operated to regulate the force of the power means, and meansincluding a fingerpiece connected to the other end of said actuableelement whereby the latter may also be operated to regulate the powermeans.

22. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities, power means to efl'ect the printing thereof, a leverconnected to the power means, means including a handle connected to oneend of said lever whereby the force of the power means may be regulated,a fixed locking plate to co-operate with said handle to hold it in anyone of a plurality of positions, said locking plate having a series oftransverse slots extending at right angles from a longitudinal slot,said handle being adapted to engage in any one of said transverse slotsand being movable laterally out of said transverse slots to unlock itand into the longitudinal slot so that it may be moved lengthwisethereof to actuate the lever connected with the power means, and indicesat the transverse slots.

23. In a typewriting machine, the combination of printinginstrumentalities, power means to effect the printing thereof, meansincluding a lever whereby the power means may be regulated to vary theforce thereof, a shaft, a handle thereon, a locking plate as sociatedwith said handle, said shaft being rotatable bythe handle to release itfromthe locking plate so that it may subsequently be moved axially toshift said lever, and a pin and slot' connection between said shaft andsaid lever to permit rotative movement of the shaft independently ofsaid lever.

24. In a typewriting machine, the combinati'on of printinginstrumentalities, power means to eifectthe printing thereof, a lever ofthe second order, a. lever of the first order carried by the lever ofthe second order, the lever of the first order being connected with thepower means, means including a finger piece connected with the lever ofthe second order to regulate the power means to var its force, and meanswhereby the lever of the first order may be actuated relatively to itssupporting lever when the latter ismoved beyond a certain range toeffect afurther regulation of the power means.

FRANK H. TREGQ.

